The Alchemist (producer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Alchemist | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alan Daniel Maman |
| Born | October 14, 1975 |
| Origin | Beverly Hills, California |
| Genre(s) | Hip Hop |
| Occupation(s) | emcee, record producer |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Label(s) | Shady, E1, Decon, ALC |
| Associated acts | Prodigy, Mobb Deep, Infamous Mobb, Big Noyd, Evidence, Dilated Peoples, Nas, Eminem |
Alan Daniel Maman (born October 14, 1975), better known as the Alchemist, is a hip hop producer and emcee. He hails from affluent Beverly Hills, California.[1] After rising to prominence in the late 1990s as a close associate of Dilated Peoples and Mobb Deep, he went on to produce many of hip hop's leading artists in the 2000s, and has been hailed as one of the genre's leading producers.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] Early
As a teenager, Al began to identify strongly with the rebellious lyrics and urban sounds of hip-hop, and he began writing his own lyrics as a creative outlet. He joined up with other like-minded artists who wrote lyrics and rebelled strongly against their "uptight" suburban surroundings. He was also associated with Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town, Evidence of Dilated Peoples and Scott Caan, son of James Caan. Al and Scott decided to become a duo named The Whooliganz.[1] While rhyming at a party in L.A., they attracted the attention of B-Real of Cypress Hill. He invited the teens to join his crew, The Soul Assassins, which also included the groups House of Pain and Funkdoobiest.[1] In 1993, the Whooliganz released their first single, "Put Your Handz Up." The song received little radio airplay and their record label, Tommy Boy Records, decided to shelve their album.[1] Rejected, Scott focused his creative energy on acting while Al became interested in process of making hip-hop beats
DJ Muggs took Al under his wing and taught him how to use a sampler and mixing board.[1] After helping to produce a few tracks for Cypress Hill, Al became the main producer for his childhood friend, Evidence and his group Dilated Peoples.
[edit] Late 1990s-Present
When Dilated debuted in 1998, they were an underground sensation creating a huge buzz about the man behind the beats. Alchemist also produced several tracks on the debut album Focused Daily by Defari, another Dilated and Alkaholik affiliate. In 1999, Muggs introduced Al to his good friends, the popular hip-hop group Mobb Deep. Al produced two songs for their Murda Muzik album.[1] Impressed by his production skills and street smarts, Mobb Deep took him under their wing, using his beats on all their subsequent albums. As Alchemist's profile increased, he went on to produce for many of hip hop's most successful and prominent artists, such as Nas, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Ghostface Killah and Snoop Dogg.[1] He has also remixed songs for bands and artists in other genres such as Linkin Park and Morcheeba.[1] Al stayed loyal to his old friends, continuing to produce for Dilated, Cypress Hill, Everlast (formerly of House of Pain) and Crazy Town. He also enjoys producing for lesser-known underground rappers, often giving them some of his best beats. In 2004, 11 years after his rapping career folded, The Alchemist returned with his long-awaited debut album, "1st Infantry." The album yielded the hit single "Hold You Down" (featuring Prodigy, Illa Ghee and Nina Sky), which hit number ninety-five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005.
[edit] Ras Kass feud
In 1999, The Alchemist was set to produce 3 tracks for rapper Ras Kass' upcoming album, "Van Gogh", which was scheduled for a late 2000 release at the time. One of the said tracks was "Home Sweet Home", which was to be the lead single for Ras Kass' album. After The Alchemist received the first half of the payment for the beat, he says Ras Kass' record label (Priority) was ignoring him. They later met up in August at the Source Awards in Pasadena, California. He let him know he'd been showcasing it to other artists. Jadakiss would then go on to record "We Gonna Make It" over the same beat, on his 2001 release, Kiss Tha Game Goodbye. When Ras Kass took notice, he attempted to stop the release by releasing his version of the song on mixtapes, but to no success.[3] This prompted Ras to diss Alchemist in freestyles and on a track from Van Gogh. Eventually the beef ended so he could concentrate on his legal problems but still cites a loss of respect for the producer. However, during 2006, The Alchemist was featured on a skit in the Revenge of the Spit mixtape. Furthermore, in an interview with www.hiphopgame.com, Ras admits that he was being stubborn and refused to listen to what the Alchemist was trying to tell him. The two have squashed the beef and Alchemist produced the song "Past, Future, and Present" and did the intro for the song that appeared on Revenge of the Spit.
[edit] Anger Management Tour
Alchemist was signed on as the official tour DJ for Eminem on the 2005 Anger Management 3 Tour, replacing the recently-ousted DJ Green Lantern. [4] However on July 13 2005, the tour bus carrying Eminem's entourage (including rapper Stat Quo as well as Alchemist) swerved off the road and turned over. Alchemist was treated for broken ribs and a collapsed lung. [5]
[edit] Upcoming Projects
In late 2008 Alchemist announced two upcoming group projects. Gangrene is his Jaylib inspired project with Madlib's brother, Oh No. The album was completed in late 2008 and will be released sometime after Alchemist's Chemical Warfare album. Like Jaylib's Champion Sound, Gangrene will feature Alchemist rapping over Oh No's production and vice versa.[6]
He has also announced plans to release an album with Evidence in 2009 as the Stepbrothers. The name was inspired by the movie featuring their favorite comedians Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, which also happened to feature the Dilated Peoples' song Live On Stage, which was produced by The Alchemist.[7] Alchemist is also the music producer of the 10th installment of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars set to be released by Rockstar Games.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1st Infantry (2004)
- Return of the Mac (with Prodigy) (2007)
- Chemical Warfare (2009)
[edit] EPs
- The Alchemist's Cookbook (2008)
[edit] Mixtapes
- The Cutting Room Floor Vol. I (2003)
- Insomnia (2003)
- No Days Off (2006)
- The Chemistry Files Vol. 1 (2006)
- The Cutting Room Floor Vol. II (2008)
[edit] Instrumentals
- Action/Drama (2001)
- Gangster Theme Music (2000)
- The Ultimate Music Machine (2002)
- Lab Tested (2004)
- Rapper's Best Friend (2007)
- GTA Chinatown Wars (2009)
[edit] Singles
- "I'm The King" Royce Da 5'9" (1999)
- "The Platform" Dilated Peoples (2000)
- "Annihilation" Dilated Peoples (2000)
- "Last Line Of Defense" Dilated Peoples (2000)
- "Keep It Thoro" Prodigy (2000)
- "Block Value/ More Like Us" (Feat. Mobb Deep & Big Noyd) (2001)
- "Worst Comes To Worst" Dilated Peoples (2001)
- "Live On Stage" Dilated Peoples (2001)
- "Trials of Love" Prodigy (Feat. B.K.) (2001)
- "We Gonna Make It" Jadakiss (Feat. Styles P & Eve) (2001)
- "The Man: The Icon" (Feat. Big Daddy Kane) (2001)
- "Different Worlds/B.I.G. T.W.I.N.S." (Feat. Twins) (2001)
- "Mobb Niggaz (The Sequel)/IM3" Infamous Mobb (2002)
- "American Me" U-Krime (2002)
- "I Won't Be"Royce Da 5'9" (2003)
- "U Don't Know Me""Royce Da 5'9 (2003)
- "Backwards"(Feat. Mobb Deep (2003)
- "Marathon" Dilated Peoples (2004)
- "Poisonous" Dilated Peoples (2004)
- "Got It Twisted" Mobb Deep (2004)
- "Win Or Lose" Mobb Deep (2004)
- "Bangers" (Feat. Lloyd Banks) (2004)
- "Hold You Down" (2004)
- "Back Again'"Dilated Peoples (2005)
- "Make My Own" Defari (2006)
- "Wet Wipes" Cam'ron (2006)
- "Mac 10 Handle" Prodigy (2006)
- "Return of the Mac" Prodigy (2007)
- "Stuck On You" Prodigy (2007)
- "Spit It Clearly'" Dilated Peoples (Feat. The Alchemist) (2007)
- "Key To The City" (Feat. Nina Sky & Prodigy) (2007)
- "The LIfe" Prodigy (2008)
- "Young Veterans" Prodigy (2008)
- "Lose Your Life" (Feat. Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss & Pusha T) (2008)
- "Smile" (Feat. Twista & Maxwell) (2009)[8]
- "What Goes On" Mobb Deep (2009)
- "Classical" (Slick Jacken & Evidence) (2009)
[edit] Production credits
- 1999: Terror Squad (Terror Squad album) : "99 Live" (featuring Prospect,) "Bring It On" (featuring Fat Joe)
- 1999: Build & Destroy (Royce Da 5'9" album) : "I'm the King"
- 1999: Focused Daily (Defari album) : "Focused Daily"
- 1999: A Tear for the Ghetto (Group Home album) : "Stupid Muthafuckas (30 Minutes to War)"
- 1999: Home Field Advantage (The High & Mighty album) : "Top Prospects" & "Open Mic Night (Remix)" (featuring Thirstin Howl III & Wordsworth)
- 1999: Balance (Swollen Members album) : "Front Street", "Circuit Breaker", "Strength", & "Horrified Nights"
- 1999: Murda Muzik (Mobb Deep album) : "Thug Muzik" (featuring Infamous Mobb & Chinky) & "The Realest" (featuring Kool G. Rap)
- 1999: Internal Affairs (Pharoahe Monch album) : "No Mercy" (featuring M.O.P.)
- 2000: The Platform (Dilated Peoples album) : "The Platform", "Guaranteed", "The Main Event", "Annihilation", & "The Last Line of Defense"
- 2000: The Reunion (Capone-N-Noreaga album) : "Queens" (featuring Complexions) & "Bang Bang" (featuring Foxy Brown)
- 2000: Eat at Whitey's (Everlast album) "Deadly Assassins" (Featuring B-Real)
- 2001: H.N.I.C. (Prodigy album) : "Keep It Thoro", "Three" (featuring Cormega), "Trials of Love" (featuring B.K.), & "Veteran's Memorial"
- 2001: Endangered Species (Big Pun album) : "Mama"
- 2001: The Realness (Cormega album) : "Fallen Soldiers (Remix)"
- 2001: Baldhead Slick & da Click (Guru album) : "In Here" (featuring Timbo King, Killah Priest & Black Jesus)
- 2001: He Think He Raw (Casual album) : "I Gotta (Get Down)"
- 2001: Kiss tha Game Goodbye (Jadakiss album) : "We Gonna Make It" (featuring Styles P) & "Feel Me (Skit)"
- 2001: Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (Fat Joe album) : "Definition of a Don" (featuring Remy Martin)
- 2001: Expansion Team (Dilated Peoples album) : "Live on Stage", "Worst Comes to Worst" & "Panic"
- 2001: Bad Dreams (Swollen Members album) : "Bad Dreams"
- 2001: Bulletproof Wallets (Ghostface Killah album) : "The Forest", "The Juks" (featuring Trife) & "Street Chemistry" (featuring Prodigal Sunn & Trife)
- 2001: Infamy (Mobb Deep album) : "Get at Me," "Home Sweet Home"
- 2002: A Gangster and a Gentleman (Styles P album) : "A Gangster and a Gentleman" & Black Magic" (featuring Angie Stone)
- 2002: The Lost Tapes (Nas album) : "My Way" & "No Idea's Original"
- 2002: The True Meaning (Cormega album) : "The Legacy"
- 2002: Loyalty (Fat Joe album) : "Bust at You" (featuring Scarface & Baby)
- 2002: Reanimation (Linkin Park album) : "Frgt/10" (featuring Chali 2Na)
- 2002: God's Son (Nas album) : "Book of Rhymes", "Mastermind" & "Revolutionary Warfare" (featuring Lake)
- 2003: Walk Witt Me (Sheek Louch album) : "Turn It Up"
- 2003: Only the Strong (Big Noyd album) : "Only the Strong", "Shoot 'Em Up (Bang Bang) Part 1", "Noyd Holdin' It Down" (featuring Havoc), "Shoot 'Em Up (Bang Bang) Part 2" (featuring Mobb Deep), "Air It Out" (featuring Havoc), & "N.O.Y.D."
- 2003: The Awakening (PMD album) : "The Awakening"
- 2004: Neighborhood Watch (Dilated Peoples album) : "Marathon", "Neighborhood Watch", "Poisonous" (featuring Devin the Dude), & "World on Wheels"
- 2004: Till Death Do Us Part (Cypress Hill album : "Latin Thugs" (featuring Tego Calderon)
- 2004: Amerikaz Nightmare (Mobb Deep album) : "Win or Lose", "Got It Twisted", "When U Hear The", & "Got It Twisted (Remix)" (featuring Twista)
- 2004: Sweat (Nelly album) : "Playa" (featuring Mobb Deep & Missy Elliott)
- 2004: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (Snoop Dogg album) : "(Intro) I Love to Give You Light"
- 2004: Kiss of Death (Jadakiss album) : "Still Feel Me"
- 2005: The Diamond Mine (Diamond D album) : "Y'all Niggaz Need to Know"
- 2005: After Taxes (Sheek Louch album) : "Movie Niggas" (featuring Ghostface Killah)
- 2005: Who's Hard? (Big Shug album) : "Who? (Got My Back)" & "Who's Hard?"
- 2005: Witness My Growth (Elzhi album) : "The Alchemist"
- 2006: Street Music (Defari album) : "Make My Own" (featuring Evidence)
- 2006: Black Magic (Swollen Members album) : "Weight" (featuring Ghostface Killah & The Alchemist)
- 2006: Time is Money (Styles P album) : "I'm Black" (featuring Marsha Ambrosius)
- 2006: Blood Money (Mobb Deep album) : "The Infamous" (featuring 50 Cent)
- 2006: Killa Season (Cam'Ron album) : "Wet Wipes"
- 2006: 20/20 (Dilated Peoples album) : "Back Again" & "20/20"
- 2006: You Already Know (Agallah album) : "Ride Out (O.G.G.G.)" (featuring The Alchemist) & "On the Ave"
- 2006: The Re-Up - Eminem Presents : "We Ride For Shady" (Obie Trice & Cashis); "There He Is" (Bobby Creekwater); "Tryin' Ta Win" (Stat Quo)
- 2006: The Medicine (Planet Asia album) : "Over Your Head"
- 2006: Eat or Die (Ras Kass album) : "Get It In"
- 2007: Return of the Mac (Prodigy album) : All songs
- 2007: The Release Party (Dilated Peoples): "Spit It Clearly"
- 2007: The Death of Tragedy (Tragedy Khadafi album) : "Milk Murder"
- 2007: Desire (Pharoahe Monch album) : "Desire"
- 2007: The Weatherman LP (Evidence album) : "Letyourselfgo" (featuring Phonte), "Chase the Clouds Away" (featuring Kamilah), "Evidence is Everywhere", "Line of Scrimmage" (featuring Slug), & "Born in LA" (featuring Chace Infinite & Sick Jacken)
- 2007: Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) (Styles P album) : "Green Piece of Paper" & "All I Know is Pain"'
- 2008: The Elephant in the Room (Fat Joe album) : "My Conscience" (featuring KRS-One)
- 2008: H.N.I.C. Pt. 2 (Prodigy album) : "The Life", "Young Veterans", "Illuminati", "Veteran's Memorial Part II" and "Dirty New Yorker"
- 2008: Deified (Keak Da Sneak album) : "That Go (Remix)" (featuring Prodigy & Alchemist)
- 2008: Tha Carter III (Lil Wayne album) "You Ain't Got Nuthin'" (featuring Fabolous & Juelz Santana)
- 2008: I.A.Dap (Lil' Dap album) : "Intro I.A.Dap" & "Get It"
- 2008: Politics As Usual (Termanology album) : "Hood Shit" (featuring Prodigy)
- 2008: Fresh Rhymes & Videotape Vol. 1 : "The Last Shall Be First" (Dilated Peoples) & "Road Stop" (88-Keys & Aceyalone)
- 2008: The Layover EP (Evidence album) : "So Fresh" (Evidence & Alchemist aka Step Brothers), "The Far Left" (featuring The Alchemist & Fashawn), "To Be Determined" (featuring Elzhi & Aloe Blacc)
- 2009: Smoke & Mirrors (B-Real album) : "6 Minutes" (featuring Young De & Tek)
- 2009: Channel 10 (Capone-N-Noreaga album) : "Follow the Dollar"
- 2009: The Last Kiss (Jadakiss album) : "Death Wish" (featuring Lil' Wayne)
- 2009: Intermission (Soul Assassins album) : "Classical" (Slick Jacken & Evidence) & "Gunshots" (Chace Infinite & The Alchemist)
- 2009: A Brand You Can Trust (La Coka Nostra album) : "Chose Your Side" (featuring Bun B)
- 2009: Loso's Way (Fabolous album) : "Lullaby"
- 2009: Slaughterhouse (Slaughterhouse album) : Microphone"
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Brown, Marisa "The Alchemist Biography", allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- ^ Birchmeier, Jason "1st Infantry review," Allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation
- ^ Alchemist Responds To Claims Of Double Dealing
- ^ http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?I=4380
- ^ Anger Management Tour Bus Crashes; Stat Quo, Eminem's DJ Among Those Injured | News | VH1.com
- ^ HipHopDX.com - Alchemist And Oh No Plan Gang Green Album. HipHopDX.com. Accessed December 1, 2008.
- ^ HipHopDX.com - Producers Corner: Evidence & Alchemist. HipHopDX.com. Accessed November 9, 2008.
- ^ "The Alchemist featuring Maxwell and Twista – Smile (Video)". WeLiveThis.com. http://www.welivethis.com/newsfeed/2009/06/12/alchemist-featuring-maxwell-twista-smile-video/. Retrieved on June 12 2009.
- Winning, Brolin (2004-12-01). "The Alchemist—Popular Science". Remix. http://remixmag.com/artists/remix_popular_science/. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
[edit] External links
Official websites
Interviews
- The Alchemist speaks on his upcoming second LP 'Chemical Warfare'
- Interview with The Alchemist at Complex Magazine
- Alchemist: Mixing Dangerous Chemicals
- Radio interview with The Alchemist
- 60 Seconds With... The Alchemist
- The Alchemist: Eminem's Official DJ
- OneStopBeats.com: The Alchemist
- Dubcnn.com Video Interview
- Dubcnn.com Text Interview
- TSS Presents SMoking Sessions With Stat Quo & Th Alchemist | The Smoking Section
- UGHH: Alchemist - 'Interview Pt. 1'
- UGHH: Alchemist - 'Interview Pt. 2'
- Havoc & Alchemist Interview
- HipHopGame Interview - The Alchemist
- Alchemist - The Transformer :: Hip-Hop Interview
- Producers Corner: Evidence & Alchemist
- Alchemist: Hold You Down | BallerStatus.com
- HipHopGame.com - Alchemist Interview
- Interview with The Alchemist
- Grind Time: The Alchemist's Skate History
- powerplayed™ (Beta) ⁄ Interview With The Alchemist by The Alchemist
- The Alchemist Interview
- A Man & His Music | Black Sheep Mag | Hip Hop, R&B & Soul Music Magazine

